especially to Marduk and Nabû and granted the cities political and economic privileges,
including freedom from certain taxes and duties.
In 721 BCE, while Sargon II ( 722 – 705 ) was busy securing his power in Assyria,
the Chaldaean Marduk-apla-iddina II ( 721 – 710 ) declared himself king of Babylon.
This started a period of almost thirty years of fighting for the rule over Babylonia
(Brinkman 1964 ; van der Speck 1977 / 78 ). When Sargon marched into Babylonia in
710 BCEhe was hailed as liberator by the Babylonian cities (Chamaza 2002 : 62 – 70 ).
The traditional privileges were extended even to cities in the extreme south like
Uruk, Ur or Eridu. These cities situated within the tribal territory had a clear advan-
tage by accepting Assyrian rule and proved to be loyal allies. Sargon became king of
Babylonia and reorganised the administrative structure of the land, creating two larger
provinces, one around Babylon and one in the south. Over 100 , 000 people from the
south were deported into Anatolia and the Levant, whereas deportees from Anatolia
were settled in Southern Mesopotamia. Under Sargon’s rule, the north-western parts
of Babylonia were recultivated, the cities resettled and the canal connecting Babylon
with Borsippa reopened.
— Hannes D. Galter —Figure 37. 3 Assyro-Babylonian treaty (Rm 2 , 427 ), written in 821 BCE
(courtesy of the Trustees of the British Museum).